School Nurse Tips - the "Dos and Don’ts" of Social Media by RNsights

Boston, MA, February 13, 2012 --(PR.com)-- “When it comes to healthcare professionals using social media, as the expression goes the train has left the station and there is no turning back. The benefits are just too great and those who don’t partake are missing out on a tremendous resource for their industry. For instance, by joining RNsights, school nurses now have the ability to be part of a free and brand new state of the art professional networking community connecting school nurses with over 1,000 of their peers across the country,” said Tom Ullian, cofounder of RNsights. With a click of the mouse, school nurses can share insights, collaborate with other school nurses and find support from their peers. Information can be shared real-time providing immediate education and sharing of evidence based solutions which Tom says “can help school nurses be more knowledgeable in their jobs, provide immediate help to their students, and be more effective working with school administration, teachers and parents.”

“The question no longer is whether social media is an effective resource in the healthcare profession but rather how to best use social media while taking all the necessary precautions to protect oneself and one’s patients. By following these simple guidelines of the 'Do's and Don'ts' of using social media, one can safely and securely benefit from the latest technological advance sweeping the healthcare profession,” states the RNsights cofounder.

Don'ts

Don’t disclose in posts identifying information about oneself, one’s school, or one’s patients
Don’t choose a username on the website that easily identifies oneself
Don’t upload images of patients
Don’t make assumptions about who is reading posts and comments
Don’t engage in unprofessional conduct

Do's

Do use a site/community that helps protect the confidentiality of oneself, one’s school, and one’s patients
Do choose a username that does not include last name or school but is easy to remember
Do share evidence based solutions to help peers
Do pose questions to experts and other nurses who had previous experience with an issue
Do share support and emotional encouragement with other nurses
Do maintain patient privacy and confidentiality at all times
Do think about how a post or comment might be interpreted by the reader
Do discuss industry concerns and news that can help other nurses

RNsights created its online community for school nurses with the importance of confidentiality at the core of its design. “As a result, it added another level of protection that most social media sites can’t provide,” says Tom. In addition, even though members are “anonymous” to one another, RNsights has the ability to confirm a member’s RN license when necessary.

Tom advises, “Before deciding to join any social media platform where one may be discussing sensitive information, make sure to go through the checklist to protect oneself and one’s patients. If the answer is 'Yes' to all the questions, go ahead and join the site to start reaping the benefits of being part of a professional networking community.”

RNsights:
Able to choose an anonymous user name. Yes
Personal information, such as real name and email address, will Not be shared without permission. Yes
Away from basic user information, one is not required to provide additional personal information. Yes
The website is Not in business to collect personal data to be sold. Yes
Ability to choose level of email notification received so the website never becomes intrusive. Yes

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